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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

There’s only one way we can avoid a similar catastrophe

Posted 8/21/14

The ongoing discussion about the wisdom of mining for copper, gold, and other metals in the two major watersheds in northeastern Minnesota has been filled with projections and conjecture. Now there …

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There’s only one way we can avoid a similar catastrophe

Posted

The ongoing discussion about the wisdom of mining for copper, gold, and other metals in the two major watersheds in northeastern Minnesota has been filled with projections and conjecture. Now there is another factual substance to include in the dialogue.

On Aug. 5, 2014, a breach in the containment basin occurred at the Imperial Metals Mt. Polley copper/gold mine in the interior of British Columbia, Canada, discharging 10 billion litres of wastewater and 5 billion litres of tailings residue into nearby lakes and streams. The residue contained lead, mercury, arsenic, and other assorted pollutants.

This catastrophic disaster is relevant to the copper mining projects proposed in the Ely area because:

•The Imperial Metals mine is a modern mine operated by an established mining company, which has current technology and knowledge at its disposal.

•Around 300 local people have lost their jobs, perhaps permanently.

•The company was subject to tough governmental standards and regulations. Canada has a long history of overseeing mining operations.

•The mining was extracting copper and gold from sulfide bedrock.

•Imperial Metals is an experienced mining company employing trained personnel; it is not a third world operation with questionable expertise.

•The proposed copper mining projects for the Ely area mirror the Mt. Polley operation.

•The Xatull First Nation band now faces the devastation of their watershed. The President of Imperial Metals has acknowledged that the company does not have the financial resources to cover the cost of the clean up, estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. There is only one way to guarantee that such a catastrophe never happens here.

Dan Humay

Eagles Nest, Minn.